Itahari, May 18:

Sunsari district is facing a severe shortage of health workers.

Only two of the quota for ten doctors in the District Public Health Office have been filled until now and the eight posts are lying vacant for the past three years and the district hospital is run by a single doctor.

“Patients in the district are deprived of timely treatment due to lack of doctors in the hospital,” said Keshav Sharma, chairman of the District Hospital Development Committee, Inaruwa. He added: “Patients are worried as they don’t get proper treatment in the district hospital.”

Ramdhan Meheta, administrative officer at the DPHO, said: “Of the quota of 10 doctors under the DPHO, there are only two doctors posted at present. The posts for eight doctors are lying vacant for the past three years.”

Meheta added: “Dr Indra Narayan Das is working in the district hospital and Dr Nawal Kishor Thakur of the Itahari primary health post is on study leave for the past some months.”

“There is a quota of five doctors in the Sunsari district hospital, but only one doctor is working there for the past three years,” said Meheta, adding: “There is no doctor in the Harinagara, Chatara, Madhuban, and Saterjhoda-based health centres. Assistant health workers (AHW) are providing treatment to patients.”

Meheta said he had asked the Health Ministry several times to fill the vacant posts of doctors but nothing has been done in this regard.

“There are also vacancies for the posts of a medical superintendent, four medical officers, two staff nurses and an ANM in the district hospital,” said chairman Sharma. He said: “This

situation prevails because the authorities concerned paid no heed.”

There are five primary health centres, seven health posts and 40 sub-health posts in Sunsari district.